Wolves Wild

Candle snuff fungus growing in an unreachable spot, half-hidden by taller vegetation under a hedge by the side of a canal towpath.

Moorhen standing on the protective rail around the West Park boating lake.

Moss on the parapet of Dunstall Water Bridge, with the water of the canal out of focus in one of the pictures.

Unlike most birds, pigeon mating isn’t limited to a breeding season. That’s one reason there are so many of them.

This pair had decided that one of the footpaths in West Park was a convenient location.

Yellow club – a group of very similar looking species of fungi, which look like clumps of miniature yellow baseball bats. They usually grow, as here, half-hidden in grass.

View along the canal at Newbridge, the same misty morning as in the recent bridges pictures post. One of the brightly-coloured boats moored at Newbridge Wharf must have just lit their stove.

Another plant flowering as if spring had arrived before the middle of January: some of the lesser celandines by the canal towpath on the slope below Hawthorn Wood.

Purple jellydish fungus grows on fallen or felled timber which is left lying to decay naturally. It is supposed to be a common species – perhaps more so now that letting timber decay naturally is encouraged. These patches of the fungus were growing on two fallen tree trunks close to each other at Northycote Farm.

Two views with bridges on a misty morning. Looking along the canal through the arch of the original bridge at Newbridge.

A little further towards Compton, Meccano Bridge carries the Railway Walk over the canal.

One of the growing West Park flock of greylag geese preening at the edge of the lake. Some of the paler feathers of its underwing are exposed as it raises its limb to reach its preen gland.

A couple of years ago, I noticed a group of earth star fungi growing in the flower bed by the Royal metro stop. I didn’t spot them last year, but that might have been because I didn’t pass that way at the right time.

This year they are back, though just this pair.

Buttercups normal flowering season is high spring – April or May time. This one was out a week into January, with some flowers which had already gone over.